Liszt & Scheide

On this decidedly out-of-the ordinary disc, Kathleen Scheide's playing of the three Liszt pieces is almost 100% pleasing -- rhythmic, original, colorful in registration, and at times exciting... — American Record Guide More…

Catalogue No: OAR350
Label: Raven

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Scheide, K: Ave Maria von Arcadelt, S. 659

Liszt: Evocation of the Sistine Chapel

Liszt: Variations on a theme from 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' (J S Bach) for organ, S673

Scheide, K: Variations on Amazing Grace

Scheide, K: Set for Organ

Scheide, K: Gnostic Incantation

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Kathleen Scheide brings lyrical and powerful works of Liszt and of her own composition to bask in the grand acoustic of Boston's Mission Church and its 1897 Hutchings 3-75.

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On this decidedly out-of-the ordinary disc, Kathleen Scheide's playing of the three Liszt pieces is almost 100% pleasing -- rhythmic, original, colorful in registration, and at times exciting and quite emotional. I say "almost" because she draws the 16' manual stops too often for my taste; these impart a murky opaqueness to the music. Her handling of rhythm and tempo in the big, chaconne-based Weinen, Klagen is markedly free.

Who can argue with her playing of her own compositions? And attractive organ pieces they are, mostly, a welcome addition to contemporary repertoire. That ubiquitous tune, 'Amazing Grace', forms the subject for a winsome chain of variations (1994). What a daunting task to write a convincing piece on such a folksy, down-home tune! Set for Organ (1991) is a three-movement work incorporating forms traditionally favored by organ composers: chorale prelude, toccata, fugue, passacaglia. The tonal language is more avant-garde than in the variations: in fact, III is a witches' cauldron of unrelieved dissonance. Gnostic Incantation (1989) seems to me both the most original and appealing of Miss Scheide's three works, an important and captivating composition that is imaginatively conceived for the organ.

The organ in the Mission Church, Boston, is difficult to categorize. The original 1897 Hutchings -- a fine, valuable instrument in its day -- has been rebuilt and fundamentally altered in character. Nevertheless, it is a versatile and beautiful instrument, with many of the old stops intact, in a resonant acoustical setting. Raven's recorded fidelity is superb.

Liszt & Scheide

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